NORMAN LINDSAY

Rita of the Eighties

This is a Lindsay Limited Edition Water Colour PRINT of Rita Lee who was Norman’s favourite model after Rose. Rita of the Eighties is the only known watercolour portrait Norman Lindsay painted of her.

The amethyst purple and pink tones combine to convey the aura of serenity which Rita possessed and the touches of white on the feathered hat, lace trim and glove add to the delicacy of the picture. It is without doubt one of Norman’s most beautiful watercolour portraits.

Norman Lindsay original oil painting titled Languor has been faithfully reproduced in a fine art limited edition print of 600 only, Languor painting print is embossed in the lower corner and comes complete with a certificate of authenticity and Etching House has Languor prints available as well as other works by Norman Lindsay are Limited edition Watercolour and oil painting reproduction fine art prints titled as follows.

Norman chose Languor for reproduction (in black and white) in Paintings in Oil: Norman Lindsay (The Shepherd Press, Sydney, 1945, plate 21). The Limited Edition Languor is the exact size of the original painting, which has never been offered for sale.

Rita Lee was Norman’s favourite model after Rose and Rita of the Eighties is the only known watercolour portrait he painted of her. The amethyst purple and pink tones combine to convey the aura of serenity which Rita possessed and the touches of white on the feathered hat, lace trim and glove add to the delicacy of the picture. It is without doubt one of Norman’s most beautiful watercolour portraits.

The Curtain, painted in 1921, is an excellent demonstration of Norman Lindsay’s fascination with the intricacies of depicting skin textures against fabric. A simpler composition than Where War Ends, its rich colour conveys a feeling, as one writer put it, of ‘sumptuous intimacy’.

Rose also modelled the central figure in this work which she refused to sell. During the many years she lived at Springwood it hung in the living room (always to the left of the French doors).

The Norman Lindsay original watercolour painting titled Where War Ends, painted in 1924, is an great example of the artist’s skill using the medium of watercolour. The central figures glow like porcelain in a composition of great warmth of colour and vivacity which is enhanced by clever use of his ‘stippling’ technique.

Rose modelled for both the central and kneeling figures.

The painting purchased during the 1920s by the proprietors of the Bulletin and hung in their office for many years. At the first opportunity Rose, who had always regretted selling it, bought it back.

The secrets of the technique employed to produce this edition in 1934 were lost on the death of their originator, Mr William Hackett of Sydney. No less than eighteen hand-drawn lithographic plates – the result of hundreds of painstaking hours of work – were used to capture the glowing shades and subtleties of colour of the original watercolour.

Little is known, even by art historians, of the edition’s early history, except that a handful of copies were sold privately in those hard, post-depression times, and a few others were offered for sale by a Sydney department store gallery. What is certain is that the bulk of the edition – some 1,900 prints – were eventually sold as one lot, then lost and their whereabouts shrouded in mystery until 1969 when they were discovered by workmen clearing rubbish from a suburban Sydney garage. The entire edition was then offered to Ibis Imprints who, after careful inspection, reduced the number to 1,650, thus ensuring that only prints in perfect condition were offered to the public.

A selection of fine art limited edition reproduction oil painting prints are available at Etching House, these editions are limited to generally 600 only or as otherwise marked with the copyright embossed seal on each print and each work comes with a Certificate of authenticity and copyright seal.

Oil Painting Limited edition Prints explained, The Norman Lindsay Limited Edition Paintings are published in strict accordance with copyright conditions. Authenticity is guaranteed by an embossed seal in the lower right hand corner of the image and all works are accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. Each image is individually hand-numbered and once an edition has sold out, it is never re-released. The Curtain is reproduced in full colour on 250gsm Parilux and Rita of the Eighties, City of Joy, Languor and Court to Peacocks are reproduced in full colour on 300gsm Parilux. The archival quality Parilux paper used for the Limited Edition Paintings is totally acid, dioxin and chlorine free. All original printing materials used for the Limited Edition Paintings have been destroyed and the metal plates used in the printing process have first been cancelled and then destroyed. Languor (alternatively titled The Pink Drape) was one of the first oils Norman painted at the Bridge Street studio in 1934 and is an outstanding example of the technical mastery Norman achieved in the medium during the 1930s. The languid pose of the model and the opulence of the couch covering combine to convey the tenderness of mood and feeling conveyed by the title Languor. It is one of the paintings Norman chose for reproduction (in black and white) in Paintings in Oil: Norman Lindsay (The Shepherd Press, Sydney, 1945, plate 21). The Limited Edition Languor is the exact size of the original painting, which has never been offered for sale.